I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing jewelry and jewelry parts from a meltable material.
II. Description of the Prior Art
There have been several previously known methods for jewelry production. Casting is one such method and involves forming a wax model of the desired jewelry end product and connecting a wax sprue to the wax model. The wax model with the attached sprue is then submerged into a molding material, typically plaster, and the molding material is allowed to harden thus forming a mold for the casting operation. The mold is heated so that the wax model and sprue melt and are drained away. Molten metal, such as molten gold, is then poured into the sprue in the mold and hardens to form the jewelry end product. The mold is then destroyed which leaves the casting or jewelry end product.
The casting method for producing jewelry end products is undesirable in that it requires a separate wax model and mold for each and every jewelry end product. Moreover, the overall casting method is time consuming and expensive not only with respect to the material costs, but also in labor costs.
Another method for producing jewelry end products comprises stamping or rolling the jewelry end products from a quantity of working material. The machinery and heavy equipment necessary for the stamping and rolling operation, however, is so costly that such equipment is beyond the financial reach of most artisans.
Soldering also forms another previously known method of jewelry construction. Using this method, precast jewelry components are secured together with molten solder to form the jewelry end product. The soldering method, however, requires precast jewelry components so that the previously mentioned disadvantages of the casting method are incurred with the soldering method of constructing jewelry end products. Moreover, soldering itself is a time consuming operation.